A NEW Year crowd of 446 were treated to a 10-try feast with Taunton returning to their old ways of scoring more points than the opposition by playing running rugby.
The last 25 minutes of the game could have been won by either even though Taunton spent 20 of those 25 in the Worthing half.
There was a one-point difference in favour of Taunton for that period and it was not until the 80th minute that prop Isaac Dalton went over for his 12th try of the season to secure the win, with Gary Kingdom sealing the victory with his fifth conversion of the afternoon.
This about summed up the afternoon for Worthing whose pace and ability behind the scrum took Taunton apart.
But some superb Titans cover defence denied them what would have been a well-earned losing bonus point.
Worthing head coach Jody Levett admitted his side missed an opportunity.
“I'm a little disappointed not to come away with the win and we certainly missed an opportunity that does not often come here,2 he said.
“However, as always it was an extremely entertaining game for the crowd with lots of points scored.” This sums up the attitude of both clubs and those players who gave their all.
The game started with a try in the first move of the match when Nick Mason took a short ball in the centre to use his size and pace to burst through the middle.
Gary Kingdom added the extras.
But straight from the kick-off Worthing gathered the ball and some speedy interplay saw their fullback William Beer outpace the Taunton defence to score.
Only four minutes later the pace of Taunton wing Greg Kitson made a try from nothing, leaving Worthing players grasping at shadows as he ghosted through what seemed a tight defence.
Worthing came back with menace and were rewarded with a penalty which they duly converted to leave the score just four points apart.
As the game ebbed and flowed Taunton gained a penalty which Kingdom put into the corner.
Cory Teague, who was man of the match, won yet another line-out which supported by his forwards was driven towards the line for Taunton No.8 and captain Dan Lee to score.
This gave Taunton a cushion but those outstanding Worthing backs came up with the answer again with a try by centre Tom Gwyther.
Just three minutes later Taunton responded through Ben Oliphant- Thompson with a try which Kingdom duly converted.
Within two minutes of the restart Worthing were kicking a penalty as a result of a Taunton yellow card.
It was Worthing who next scored through Jonathan Dawe, a Germany Sevens international, to start the Taunton nerves jangling.
This was compounded when just five minutes later Jonathan Whittall went over, leaving a score of 33- 32 in favour of Taunton, until Dalton's dramatic winner.
TEAMS
TAUNTON TITANS: Kingdom, Arnott, Mason, East, Kitson, Baker, Webb, Rodd, Gosling, Dalton, Oliphant- Thompson, Teague, Harvey, Williams, Lee
Replacements: Spurdle, Baker, Ogden, Persey, Tait
WORTHING RAIDERS: Beer, Sanderson, Dawe, Gwyther, Barnes, Anscombe, Waters, Cook, Luke, Litterick, Barlow, Lee, Lake, Whittall, Perkins
Replacements: Gibson, Birch, Datford, Holmes, Mclean
REFEREE: Adam Wookey
ATTENDANCE: 446
Star man
Cory Teague – Taunton
